Corydoras pygmaeus

This species is found in Brazil; Rio Madeira and tributaries. They prefer water values of 6.0-7.0 pH and 6º dGH. The best water temperature is around 75-79º F (24-26º C).

I first started spawning these little wonders in 1988. After a few months I quit spawning them because they were so prolific! Spawning everyday! I couldn't keep up.

Now in 1994, I have seven pygmaeus left from all my spawns. I had lost my only female (as far as I knew.)

On February 8th, I decided to rearrange my living room to accommodate a couple of 2' x 2' rearing flats. As I started netting the fish, consisting of two Melanotaenia boesemani rainbows, two baby Trichogaster trichopterus Gold Gouramis, the seven "male" pygmaeus, five baby Ancistrus sp.Bristlenose plecos, I saw something flash across the front glass plate. My breath was taken away! I knew I had babies in the three gallon tank but, I also knew there weren't any that small!

I caught the larger fry. Then started catching these little mysteries. As I looked at them in a glass bowl I realized they were pygmaeus fry! It took me a few minutes to realize that indeed I had a FEMALE!

I moved this breeding group into a ten gallon tank with a sponge filter and fed them live and frozen baby brine shrimp and tubifex worms. One thing to remember when feeding pygmaeus corys is they have very small mouths so keep this in mind whenever you feed.

After their first spawn, in which eggs were placed everywhere, I had the brainy idea of placing one of my Rainbow spawning mops into the aquarium. I hoped it would be easier for collecting eggs.

It worked! Ninety percent or more of the eggs were placed on the glass. But, guess where? Right behind the spawning mop!

After I stripped the mops I placed the eggs into a small (three inch) white shrimp net. The eggs are quite tiny. After the fry hatch I siphon the babies with a regular air line tube and release them into the tank set-up only for the pygmaeus fry.

I placed one layer of gravel, from another tank, on the bottom of this tank (I learned a long time ago that these little guys eat the minute organisms found in the gravel bed as their first food.)

As they get older, to a size where you could see them scooting about easily, I would begin feeding them my ground Spirulina 20 sinking pellets with dried Brine Shrimp cubes. I add a pinch of this blend to some water and really stir it up. After it settles I use a syringe to siphon ONLY the top portion of the water. Now you have your own liquid food!

The mixture has several sizes contained in the liquid. As the fry grow, use the next level of water. Once your fry are taking the third level you can begin feeding newly hatched brine shrimp. I switch between brine shrimp and the mixture each day.

You will be able to tell when your fry are large enough for newly hatched brine.

The fry when hatched have vertical stripes on their bodies. As they get older the stripes seem to disappear. At about one month old the vertical stripes are completely gone and the horizontal stripe of the parents appear.

These are a schooling fish and do not do well by themselves. It is best to keep them in groups of 12 or more.

For spawning, you should use at least one female to six males.

It's possible your fry will be ready for spawning at three to four months. You can tell the female from the males by looking at them from the top. (That's if the female is mature). The females will be wider than the males.

It is now almost the end of 1998 and I really do miss these little fish. They are so cute and can be kept in small tanks with other species of similar size. If I had the space, I would again get some more of these little beauties.

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